Does Gummy Smile Surgery Hurt?
The level of the side effects depends on the expertise of the surgeon. You can expect several side effects like pain and the risk of tooth loss over time. Your teeth might become sensitive to cold and hot temperatures.
However, you may not experience pain during the procedure. Only when the local/general anesthesia wears off, you will likely experience pain and discomfort. Your surgeon will anyway prescribe pain management medications.
All these side effects will lessen day by day. You will be able to return to regular eating as well as oral hygiene habits.
How Can I Fix My Gummy Smile without Surgery?
If you want to avoid surgery but are unhappy with your gummy smile, there are several non-surgical treatment options that are available. They consist of:
- Botox injections: By temporarily paralyzing the muscles that elevate the upper lip, botox can reduce the appearance of a gummy grin. This procedure just requires one dental appointment and is quick and secure. The benefits of Botox injections, however, are only present for three to six months.
- Dermal Fillers: By adding volume to the upper lip, dermal fillers can help cover more gum tissue and provide a less gummy grin. This procedure just requires one dental appointment and is quick and secure.
- Lip Repositioning: Lip repositioning is a non-surgical surgery that uses sutures to move the top lip’s position, giving the smile a less gummy appearance. This procedure just requires one dental appointment and is quick, safe, and painless. However, the effects of lip repositioning are not as dramatic as surgical options and may not be suitable for everyone.
- Gum Contouring: Gum contouring is a non-surgical procedure that involves reshaping the gum line to expose more of the tooth surface and reduce the amount of gum tissue visible when smiling. This treatment is safe, quick, and can be completed in a single visit to the dentist. However, the effects of gum contouring are limited to mild cases of a gummy smile.
It is important to note that non-surgical treatment options may not be as effective as surgical options for correcting severe cases of a gummy smile. A qualified dental professional can assess your individual case and recommend the best treatment option for you.
Will TAD Really Work?
If you don’t want to undergo cosmetic surgery, TAD may be right for you. TAD refers to a Temporary Anchorage Device. This device helps in pulling your teeth in the right position which may reduce your gummy smile. They are less invasive and less expensive.
TADs are tiny screws implanted into your mouth bone. Just the local anesthesia is enough to administer while implanting these TADs.
However, it’s your surgeon who decides whether it’s the right solution for you. Depending on the cause of your gummy smile, the surgeon may recommend them.
How do you get rid of a gummy smile with Botox injections?
Do you have a hyperactive upper lip? Botox may be the right choice then. Your doctor will inject Botox into the upper lips.
This procedure will freeze the muscles around the upper lip. Moreover, it will prevent upper lip contraction while smiling. Hence, only less gum will be visible. It is comparatively less expensive. And you can see the results within 48 hours. Within a week, you will find fully visible results.
There are two drawbacks. This procedure is a quick short-term fix that lasts only for 3-4 months. Hence, you will have to undergo this procedure every few months. Another risk is your inexperienced doctor may inject too much Botox. In that case, your smile will look distorted.
If performed by the right doctor, this minimally invasive procedure proves to be safe. A 2020 research article shows that Botox injections are the right conservative and alternative method with high patient satisfaction.
Can Lip Fillers Fix a Gummy Smile?
Yes, of course. The use of lip fillers/dermal fillers is another way to fix your gummy smile. The doctor will inject hyaluronic acid or a gel substance namely Juvéderm into the upper lip. Lip filler injection helps in increasing the volume of your lips. Hence, it will reduce the amount of gum region. This procedure can also thicken your lips and improve their symmetry. Lip filler injections will take only 10 minutes. And, it will last between six months to one year. There is a chance of swelling within the initial 24 hours. However, it will settle quickly.
Lip fillers are often made with hyaluronic acid, a substance that exists naturally in the body and gives lips volume and plumpness. Lip fillers can assist increase the volume of the upper lip when injected into the area, which can help cover more of the gum tissue and produce a less gummy grin.
However, lip fillers are not specifically designed to treat a gummy smile and may not be effective for everyone. Gummy smiles can occasionally be brought on by underlying structural problems, such as an overactive upper lip muscle, which lip fillers cannot always treat.
According to the 2015 review article, this treatment is safe, cheap, less allergic, painless, and permanent with a lower risk of any complication.
Is it Possible to Treat a Gummy Smile Naturally?
Smile exercise
Following smile exercises can help in giving a little smile. Exercise therapists reveal that doing this exercise every day for 1-2 times per day may show improvement. The smile exercise involves 4 steps:
- Massaging the wings of the nose down along the corners of the mouth using the index finger. Continue for 30 seconds. This exercise will help in correcting the upper lip muscles if they are raised very high.
- Open your mouth. Next, hold the lips for 10 seconds. This exercise will help the lip muscles to cover more gums.
- Keep smiling. First, smile. Then, close your mouth. Next, open your mouth slightly. By doing so, the teeth will cover the gums. Hold for a minute. In case, if your smile still doesn’t cover the gums, press them with your fingers. This step will you to only have a little smile. And this won’t show more gums.
- Suck on the cheeks. By doing so, your mouth will look like a fish’s mouth. Hold for 30 seconds. This exercise will help in stretching the muscles around your cheeks and fix the smile.
Use of alternative drugs
Do you consume phenytoin? At times, drugs like Phenytoin may cause excess gum tissue formation. It is otherwise called gum hyperplasia. So, the doctor may recommend you stop these drugs and prescribe alternatives, in case this is the cause.
Scaling and polishing
Do you have poor oral hygiene? In that case, gum inflammation might be the cause of your gummy smile. Just have a few sessions of scaling, polishing, and deep cleaning. These procedures will reduce gum inflammation. Moreover, they will reduce the gum size as well.
Which Treatment for What Cause?
We explained about every treatment to fix a gummy smile. But you must be wondering which treatment is the right one, isn’t it? The choice of treatment depends on the cause of gummy smile development.
However, we will narrow it down by matching the appropriate treatments for each cause. Here it is:
- Longer upper jaw – lip lowering surgery or corrective jaw surgery
- The lip rises very high – lip lowering surgery or Botox
- Increased gum development over the teeth – Gingivectomy. Stop consuming phenytoin
- Gum inflammation – Scaling & polishing
How Much Does Cost For A Gummy Smile Correction?
Like any other dental procedure, the cost of gummy smile correction varies from patient to patient. It is because the price depends on the number of gums to be removed.
The cost will be lesser if the procedure involves only one or two teeth. In the case of the entire gum line, the price would be higher. But, the cost of gummy smile treatment in Delhi, NCR, India will be between Rs. 20000/- to Rs. 65000/-
Extra costs may include the following:
- Surgeon fees
- Location of dental clinic
- Consultation fees and follow-up visit cost
- Anesthesia and anesthetist cost
- Medication cost
The cost of gummy smile correction in Delhi, NCR varies depending on the treatment chosen and the severity of the case. When compared to dermal fillers, Botox injections can cost between INR10,000 and INR25,000 for each session.
In contrast to orthodontic treatment, which can cost anywhere between INR 50,000 and INR 2,50,000, gum contouring may cost between INR 20,000 and INR 1,000,000.
Crown lengthening, orthognathic surgery, and lip repositioning are a few surgical procedures that can range in price from INR50,000 to INR 5,000,000. The cost can vary based on the clinic, location, and experience of the dental professional. It’s crucial to speak with a licensed dental expert to decide on the best course of action and related costs for your particular situation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are various treatment options for a gummy smile, including surgical and non-surgical methods. While surgical treatments provide a permanent solution, non-surgical treatments are less invasive but may not be as effective for severe cases. Finding the ideal course of treatment for you requires consultation with a knowledgeable dental specialist. It’s your gorgeous smile that boosts your overall personality and self-confidence. Furthermore, this procedure will also prevent gum infection. So, no more delays! If you are having a gummy smile, do visit Care Well Medical Centre right away. It’s time to get an expert consultation from our skilled and highly experienced super-specialist doctors.
